Trial proceedings began Monday in Northampton County and could last the rest of this week.

Thode was in the last year of a master’s in counseling and human services in Lehigh’s College of Education. She needed a B in the course at issue — a fieldwork class — to qualify for another round of field work, which was required to obtain the degree.

The person responsible for the dreaded C+ was Amanda Eckhardt (who then had the last name Carr). She gave Thode a big, fat zero out of 25 possible points for class participation in the course, reports The Express-Times out of nearby Easton. Consequently, Thode — who typically earned high grades, her lawyer says — lost a full letter grade.

Thode’s lawyer, Richard J. Orloski has also alleged that Carr and Nicholas Ladany (who was the director of the degree program) conspired against Thode because she and three other students were critical when they had to search for supplemental internships midway through a semester.

The suit also charges that the course professor treated Thode unfairly because of Thode’s support for gay and lesbian causes — a claim Lehigh flatly disputes, according to The Morning Call.

Thode did graduate from Lehigh with a master’s degree, but not the one she aspired to have. According to Orloski, the $1.3 million Thode seeks in damages represents the money she’ll lose over the course of her career because she isn’t able to be a state-certified counselor.

“She’s literally lost a career,” said Orloski, according to The Morning Call.

Lehigh University obviously disagrees with Orloski.

“Lehigh is defending the right of the University and our faculty to exercise their professional judgment as educators when grading students and evaluating their academic work,” Jennifer Tucker, a university representative, told The Daily Caller. “We have a responsibility to evaluate students fairly and accurately as to their attainment of competency in their field and to grant a Lehigh degree only when Lehigh’s standards of competency are met.”